The Portland daily press., 1887-12-31
MAINE GRANITE.
How the Firm of RodwelI q Webster
Built Up Their Big Business.
Hard Work and Plenty Of II the Secret
Of Their Success.
An Interesting Story with a Valuable
Moral.
[Correspondenee b the Press.l

league. Hon. Moses Webster, who died at
his home in Vinalhaven last January The
lives Of these two men are closely associated
with the development Of the granite quarries
Of PenobscOt Bay. Mr.. Webster was born
in Pelham, N. H., in 1917, and after learning
the shoemaker's trade and afterwards the
stone-cutter's trade. moved to Methuen,
Mass, occupying a portion of the humble
home Of Joseph r. Bodwell. In 1851, Mr..
Webster hearing Of the abundance Of granite
on Fox Islands, Penobscot Bay, came
down prospecting. For $500 he bought half
Of the famous East Boston Quarry at
Caryer's Harbor, now called Vinalhaven.
At that time Vinalhaven's granite business
consisted in getting out few rough stone
for the local trade, and occasionally few
paving blocks.
In the spring Of 1852 Mr.. Bodwell was In
duced to take an interest in the business.
and with S. Gilman Webster, a. cousin Of
Moses Webster, bought the other half Of the
East Boston quarry, the firm name being
Webster, Webster II BOdwell. In the spring
Of 1853 5. G.. Webster retired from the firm,
and Webster u Bodwell continued the busi-
ness until 1886, when Thornton Webber Of
Rockland was taken into the drm. and the
now well known HarbOr quarry opened. In
1861 Mr.. Webber retired from the firm and
Hon. Il. p. Walker took his place. In 1871
the Bodwell Granite Company was formed,
taking In the quarries Of BOdwell, Webster
u Co., klttredge Webster Il Co., and the
Spruce Head quarries Of Francis Cobb & Co.
The first government contract filed on the
island was during Mr.. Webster's first years
business, the firm Of Webster & Kittredge
erecting granite spindle on Fiddler's Ledge.
The second goyernmeI contract was re-
eeived in the spring Of %, after Mr.. Bod
well had become a member of the firm, an
order being received from Gen. Delafeld 10
furnish stone for Fort Richmond, Staten
Island. The firm agreed TO furnish 5000
cubic feet Of stone in the rough at p cents
foot. The first cargo. about 60 tons, was
shipped in a little schooner, the Oregon,
Captain Tim Hall. SO anxious were
the contractors to know II the
passage ON the Oregon. and accompa-
MED the cargo TO Fort Richncnd to find out
Gen. Delafeld was greatly pleased with the
stone, and seeing tha they were hard-work-
ing men, encouraged them and treated them
very kindly. The freight on the stone was
121 cents foot, leaving them % cents foot,
just about enough to pay their expenses up
and back. As the future governor said 70
have been more than our receipts II we had
not wisely taken deck passage" Gen. Della
field told them II they filed that order
promptly he would give them all they could
do. His next order was for 5000 feet at %
cents, and that was followed by an order for
another lot at 80 cents.
They felt that they were getting along
swimmingly at this time, and were happy,
industrious fellows. Mr. Webster worked
in the quarry, and the future governor drove
the oxen and shOd them when that work was
required, which was frequently. They had
one yoke of oxen, which they bought for
$50. of Capt, Reuben Carver. who now lives
on the island at an advanced age. Never
yoke OF cattle worked as this one did Dur
ing.thls summer Of ~, they bought sec
ond yoke Of oxen for $50. selling them In
the fall for S35, having worked $40 worth OF
flesh off them. They continued work the
rest of this summer, shipping few paving
blocks to the New Orleans MARKET and one
cargo Of platform and bagging stone to Phil
adelphia. At the end Of the year they set
tied up, and found they had cleared 5000,
$500 each and that was considered by them
a very satisfactory seasons work, and they
were correspondingly elated.
The summer OF '53 the firm did cOnsidera-
BILE work for Philadelphia. The first stone
OF the first cargo Of the season broke the
crane, and the members OF the firm had to
keep the vessel waiting while they went out
into the woods, cut tree and put up new
derrick How they worked Two men nex--
er fashioned derrick In briefer time than
did Mr.. BOdwell and his partner, the future
Maine Senator. That year they did a big
business In Philadelphia platforms and
curbs, and they cleared $1,000 each. Until
the summer of "a the firms entire business
consisted In tagging and other work for
Philadelphia, and stone for the various forts
in New York, and Forts Popham and Preble
in Maine.
In the year of 1854 Webster and Bodwell
got the contract TO furnish the stone for the
Petit Menan light. On this contract their
bid was a little less than one-half that Of the
next lowest bidder. their nearest competitor
being the firm that built the Boone Island
light the year before. This firm bid S21,0O
on the Petit Menan job, while Webster 4
Bodwell's bid was $4,000. This bid was
considered SO low that Lieut.. Frank
lin, then in charge of the coast
lighthouses, was advised not TO give them
the contract, as they could not possibly do
il, so that when they went to Lieut. Frank
lin to sign the contract. after procuring
bonds. they were asked II they thought they
could do Ii. "Yes SIR" was the answer.
"We have made our own figures, relic upon
our own resources, and can do IL" And
they did do 1t, within the specified time, TO
the satisfaction Of all concerned, and after
paying all the bills had $500 left. Mr.. Bod
well went up to Boston and got the Toney.
in gold, about $1,000, having received one In
stallment, and in fear and trembling scurried
away 10 the Suffolk Bank and deposited It.
Soon after finishing the Petit Menan job the
firm secured the New York navy yard con-
tract, requiring large amount OF stone, their
bid being much under that Of others, yet
proving satisfactory one. All this stone
was furnished in the rough.
In 1858 a contract was secured OF Joseph
WescOtt to build dock at Fort Norfolk, Va,
and about the same time another contract to
furnish stone for the Pensacola navy yard.
In the summer Of go several contracts were
awarded the firm by the purchasing agent Of
the government to finish stone for the sew
eral Notifications throughout the country.
| The stone used was for strength
ening gun platforms, the intro
duction Of guns Of heavy calibre
making such a step necessary. SO promptly
were these contracts filled that when there
was any preference to be given the Vinal-
haven contractors were favored. The next
government contract was the State. War and
Navy Department building, and after this
the Cincinnati post office, these being the
prominent structures built by this firm for
the government. They had innumerabe
smaller Jobs, but they were all OF private
nature
In 1871, after making contracts for work
on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Bodwell Gran
lite Company was formed, as above, and the
work continued for several years. The COM
| pany furnished the stone for the Brooklyn
pier, and the pier on the New York side up
to the spring Of the arches. When work
| first started In on the Brooklyn bridge Il
went OF with such rush that the company
was obliged 10 make an extensive outlay
and deliver stone at great disadvantage.
| Not having the necessary appliances for fur
/ nishing so great an amount Of stone as was
| called for, the company was compelled to
use more animal labor, employing many
| oxen, having at one time 100 yOkes. In 1878,
| in order 10 keep their big force Of
| more than 1900 men together, the COM
panY got up a Fourth 0f July celebration,
on which occasion Y yokes of oxen
| drew the band chariot. which consisted Of
| pair Of wheels with a rough platform there
| on. 1t made great display, but not a par
| tieularly cheering one TO the stockholders Of
the company, as hay was $50 ton and grain
/ in proportion.
Mr.. BOdwell moved TO Hallowell with his
| family in 1866, and reopened the old Halo
well quarries land organlzed.the Hallowell
Granite Company, but till the day Of his
| death he was the head, front and prime
mover Of the BOdwell Granite Company.
His old partner remained on the Island and
| died there, as we have stated, nearly one
year ago, lamented by all, and now Governor
Bodwell has passed away, and again the sor-
row Is universal. 1t IS a striking comment
| on the lives of these two men that among
their employees there Is no word Of aught
but sorrow and each and every laborer Of
| the company mOurns the loss OF personal
| riends l..
Bank Dividends
On Tuesday. January Sd, 1888, the banks
| will pay the following dividends;
Name Capital. Div.